A-mazing Love
by Kaynasou
Summary: Aria meets a bold young man who seems to know a lot about her. he is intriguing and upsetting but she always comes back to him. Romance begins. After some time, he starts to give her the cold shoulder. As addicted to him as she was, she decides to find out why he was acting this way. Little did she know that she was about to make a life changing discovery.
1. I'm back!

_**Hey, I'm starting the new series. I am very excited about this story. I hope you'll enjoy.**_

_Context: First episode of the first season. Aria just got back from Iceland and is trying to fit in again._

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pretty Little Liars.**

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I'm back in Rosewood! There is no perfect word to describe how I feel about it. Aria Montgomery, sixteen year old me is finally back in her hometown. As excited to be back as I am my first day home couldn't be less interesting. Mike needs a chauffeur for his sports practice and the parents are both running some errands, so I was the only one with a driving license and a car.

"Ok, hurry Mike. You're going to be late!"

"Comin', gosh you're so impatient," he replies apparently annoyed by me.

He comes in the car and I drive him off to his practice. Mike and I have never been very close, but this year in Iceland has definitely brought us closer to say the least. I was the only one to know about dad and Meredith's affair and, to be honest; I don't even know how I did to not reveal it to the rest of the world. This secret has had a huge impact on my personality. I've closed myself to the world, almost became completely anti-social. I would only speak to Mike and that was why we became closer. He has never been the loving brother, while I was going through a hard time, I saw a new side of him. A good one, my little brother was a lot like me. He was the only one that could understand how I felt without even having to say why I was feeling down.

Lately, I have been feeling a lot better. Although I am positive that it had a lot to do with the fact that my father had come clean about the affair he has had with his student. I couldn't help but have the feeling that my darkest days were far from over.

"I'll be back at 5 pm sharp, be here or you'll take the bus" I threaten, knowing that he'd get out half an hour late, just like he always did.

I wait for him to get in the building and drive to the closest restaurant. I sit at a table and as I feel alone, I look around me, desperately looking for someone to talk to. In Iceland, I was a loner, couldn't stand the company of any human being, except for Mike, I spent my days without talking to anybody. This year, I want it to be different, but here I am, waiting for something to happen. If only I could just run into one of my old friends and catch up, it would be like old times and I wouldn't be left alone in a crowd of people having fun. It has been an hour and I'm still waiting, alone with no one to talk to. I'm getting bored, I take a few sips of my beverage and suddenly, something occurs to me.

I open my purse, take out my notebook and my pen and open the notebook to a blank page. Writing is a passion of mine, I only do it for me and never will try to earn money with it.

I take a deep breath, hold the pen tight and start writing with no particular purpose, I just let the words flow and set my mind free.

_I've been waiting for so long for someone to notice me. A look, a smile, a tap in the back, anything that would stop making me feel so invisible. But here I am, in the middle of a restaurant with no eye attracted to me. I never chose to be a shadow, in fact, I dress with bright colors and have a unique sense of style. I have a nice personality and even laugh at the corniest jokes, I'm an adorable girl!_

_Why is it so hard for me to fit in? What is it about me that drives people away? Am I destined to solitude? Am I still the anti-social Aria from Iceland? The one I thought had stayed there._

_I would love to understand the things that are wrong with me, because then, I could fix myself and be less of a freak. Maybe if I did get what I did wrong, I could get the life I deserve. _

_The worst thing is that, I'm not even that sad to be sat alone, I've actually accustomed to being lonely. What bothers me is the image that I have of myself, it's not what I want for myself, at least not anymore. I feel like I'm wasting my life, being awkward and fearful. My fear of the world is chasing the light away from my life, leaving me with the only, dark and sullen option of being a shadow. The shadow I have been for months._

_I would love to see the sunlight again, open my eyes, raise my head proudly and let it shine on my face. I love heat, it warms my heart and gives me a delicious feelings of safety, love and life. _

_Sadly, despite my will of being free. I can't seem to enjoy the light, it highlights my loneliness and lets the anti-social freak inside of me fully exposed to the world. The more I seek for the light, the more I realize that I might not be quite ready to be seen yet. Well, well, well…. Looks like I did choose to be a shadow after all. _

"Hey, I'm sorry to bother you. I couldn't help but notice the prettiest girl at that table," a tall, brown haired man says, pulling the chair. "Can I sit?", he flashes a smile. I nod without a word and watch him sit down at my table. "I am Ez...' he said, he couldn't finish his sentence, his phone rang and I could tell by the look on his face that it was some kind of emergency. He stood up and left as quickly as he had come. How sad is it that the only person I'd had talked to all day, except for my brother, had only said a few words before he was chased away by a mysterious phone call? Very, that is how sad it is.

I had a few hours left before I had to pick up Mike from practice. I did not know what to do so I decide to stay there at the grill. Looking at the people around me, laughing, joking and just having a great time I feel bad about myself for not being as normal. After a few minutes of watching the world go on without me, I started to imagine what it would be like if I decided to go ahead and talk to people. They wouldn't bite me if I went over and said "hello" I would get out of my chair, gather my courage and go over to whatever table, introduce myself and that would be it. It would be enough to start a conversation, but something stops me from speaking to anyone, what? I don't know. Paralysed in the middle of the crowd I decide to get away from the scary environment to have an emo moment by picking up my earphones from my bag, playing a little bit of slow, sad music to fit my mood and by locking myself in my car.

A fairly old song started to drum in my ears and the chorus seemed to fit my situation. I had not payed that much attention to the lyrics before that as it was just a catchy song I had bought on I-tunes for the plane from Iceland. Lonely by Akon was about the misery of being alone and I had spent way too much time complaining about being in that exact state. There was no lost love at the opposite of the song but how can you lose a love you never had? If anyone had looked at me from outside the car, they would be able to take the perfect picture of my life. They could then post it to instagram under the hashtag _no filter._ At the moment I must look pathetic, alone in my car, sunglasses on to hide the overwhelming despair in my eyes. I was happy to be back home, but that was this morning. Right now was a whole other story. I thought Rosewood would be like a miracle remedy that would immediately cure my anti-social instincts, but it had done nothing in that direction so far. But maybe I was getting ahead of myself, after I was only back for a few hours, maybe Rosewood miracles were under way, perhaps they just needed time to unfold, and it was possible I would soon be able to benefit from their blessings.

But for now I was lonely Aria, and this Aria likes to play a nice song, close her eyes and let her mind go out and about guided by the sole rousing rhythm of a good piece of music. If music could drown even some of my sorrow then I would allow it to. Sad, so sad. My head still half in my dreams a knock at the car window draws my attention. Him, it was him, what was he doing here? I was in no state to talk to any human being at the time. Well, taking a better look at the hottie waiting for me outside my car, I could make an exception. I clumsily take off my earphones and cut Akon off by mercilessly turning off the music. Akon could stay lonely alone, I on the other hand, could not let myself be alone any longer. I opened the door, threw my phone in my bag and followed the beautiful stranger in the restaurant. At the table I couldn't help but look at him, wondering when his phone would interrupt us again. It was the story of my life, I always came close to having a social life, but just close, it never really happened. My discreet looks must not have been so discreet considering what he opened his mouth to say.

"My phone is on silent. I'm all yours."

"Ok, I trust you. But let me just ask, because I have to," he nods and I keep going "Why would you talk to a loner like me?"

"A loner? I didn't even know you were alone, all I could see was you"

"Stop, that just sounds like a bad pick up line"

He laughs and looks down

"Guilty. I'm not that good when it comes to women. But it's true, I did think you were very pretty. And by the look on your face, I just thought you might like to have someone to talk to"

"Oh, I see what it is. You just thought you'd do your good deed of the day and amuse the emo freak of the town" I shouldn't have thought a guy like him would have wanted to talk to me. I get up, grab my purse and as I'm about to take a step, he throws me off with one sentence.

"Stop victimizing yourself"

What? This man, I've just met, I don't even know his name just takes one look at me and talks to me for two seconds and he thinks he knows enough about me to say that? Who did he think he was, exactly? I was not going to let this stranger talk to me like he knows everything about me when in fact, he doesn't know the first thing when it comes to how I feel. The furious look I was about to give him hadn't come up in a long time. I hadn't even been this mad at myself for being alone.

"Excuse me?" I articulate, "Did you just say what I think you said?" He remained as calm as ever althought I could see he knew I was furious.

"I did, and I'm right, you're wrong, get over it. You'll be better off recognizing it" The ease he showed in judging my life as if he knew all about it was so confusing to me that even though every inch of my body told me to run the other way, I couldn't get myself to doing so. I was standing in the restaurant, staring at his face with an urgent need to slap the only person that has ever talked to me in a while. I wanted to understand, if a stranger could say that so quickly about me, then maybe it explained why I had spent so much time alone. Maybe there was something about me that drove people away. This guy knew what it was. I sat at the table again, ready to hear what he had to say.

"Bring it on. Why am I victimizing myself?" I say, more intrigued than angry.

He smiles and I can tell he is glad that I decided to stay.

"Well, all I did was tell you I thought you were pretty and you immediately accused me of being on a charity spree"

"You said I needed someone to talk to me because I looked that pathetic!"

"You completely distorted my words. I was looking for an excuse to have the guts to talk to you. But as it turns out, you're the one who thinks she's not good enough"

This man was really pushing my buttons, but in an obvious way. Unknowingly I am sure, he was painfully accurate. Was I this much of an open book?

"It still doesn't explain why you think I am victimizing myself. Being self-conscious is a very different thing" I call for the waiter, he smiled and I asked why.

"I'm just happy you decided to stay,"

"Why is that?" I ask, why did he find me so interesting? I was just another girl. He obviously didn't expect my question, he rose his eyebrows and started stumbling upon his words

"Well look at that, mister know it all is at a loss of words," he put a hand on his forehead, apparently, he was embarrassed, it looked cute on him, unlike the attitude he was giving me earlier. "Why don't we start easy? What is your name?"

He chuckled,

"My name is Ezra Fitz. And, I was not at a loss of words. I just happened to forget what I wanted to say, that's it"

"Of course, if thinking that makes you feel better about yourself" I show the waiter what I want by pointing at it on the menu to keep talking to the stranger, or should I say Ezra Fitz?

"It is the truth..." He sighs and gives up "Ok, I just don't get to talk to that many females. So I tend to stumble upon my words,"

"Now tell me, why do you think I am victimizing myself?"

He chuckled again and it was getting annoying to me, it felt like he was laughing at me.

"You will not let this go now, will you?" He asked, still smiling

"No" I answer firmly. "Now speak" I said even more firmly.

"Okay, okay, I'll talk, no need to get all strict on me, Aria!"

I was all ears, if what he had to say could help me get a social life, I better listen closely. My phone started buzzing and I remembered Mike. I read the text.

_Where R U? -Mike_

I had to pick him up from practice, crap! I took a piece of paper, wrote my phone number on it, threw it on the table and yelled "Sorry" on my way out. I told Mike he that if he was late I'd leave without him and I ended up not taking my own advice. I don't know who this Ezra Fitz really is but he sure is invading my thoughts. She had to leave but she wasn't done with him, he had a lot of questions to answer.

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_**Thank you for reading.**_


	2. Welcome home

Ezra Fitz has been on my mind since our conversation at the restaurant. How could he have known so much about me? Why was it so intriguing to me? I should probably run at the opposite direction because he may just be bad news for me, but the way he spoke to me, that reckless attitude it got to me. Plus, he had been the first guy to talk to me in a while so I would be nuts not to continue seeing him. Well, if I ever see him again that is, because I had ran out of the restaurant like a maniac and I don't even know if he even got my number. Come on Aria, wake up, he won't call you again, why would he? He probably just got bored and decided to talk to the lonely girl locked in her car. Wow, maybe we were both crazy, I might had had an emo, depressive moment but he took the crown when it came to craziness. You don't simply invite the weirdo to the restaurant, unless you have some serious issues of your own.

Something tells me his crazy will match my crazy and that we will get together to create our own perfect bubble of craziness. But why hasn't he called me yet? What is he waiting for? Dreamy, I'm so letting myself get carried away, why do I have to have such high expectations every time I meet someone? Then again maybe he will meet my expectations... No! Aria stop, calm down, the poor guy has only spoke three words and you're already picturing yourself marrying him!

Let time do its part, leaving my heart throb at the back of my head iI decide to focus on the present, it was my first day of school. It has been more than a year since I last spoke to any of my previous friends, more than a year since Alison's disappearance. Weird; it was weird to see that life still went on even after someone as known as Alison has gone missing. She took up so much space in Rosewood's life, walking around town without her will be a shock for me. And whatever happened to Emily, Spencer and Hanna, we didn't really keep in touch after I left for Europe and I don't really remember why. I hope that now that I'm back it will fall into place because things will be easier if I know I have the support of the people who knew me the most, or should I say of the people who knew Pre-Europe Aria the most.

I have withdrawn once I started living there and it was like watching a movie, I felt it happen, I knew what was happening to me but I somehow couldn't get myself to rid myself of that invisible force that lept me from moving on. When I spoke to Ella about it she said it was normal and that after a shock like losing one of my closest friends, a certain social anxiety was to be expected and that it would eventually stop when the time was right. Well right now, the timing feels perfect. New school year, new teachers but I'm home which should be comforting. New love interest, but why hasn't he called me yet? He might be busy, right? He's busy, yeah, that's probably it, nothing to do with me, he's just overwhelmed by work, yep, just that, nothing to do with me. He'll call me tonight, or tomorrow, or never but even then it'll just be because of work. Who am I kidding? I'm a troll!

I took the car and anticipated the moment I would see the girls, after a year a lot of things can change so we would hopefully go back to the way we were before I moved to Iceland.

I walked across the hall scanning the students with hope, secretly examining their behaviours, the way they interact with each other. For now, they passed the test, there were no cries of pain, I haven't seen anyone get mocked for wearing the wrong clothes and I've seen some pretty messed up fashion today. Rosewood high seems to have changed, the same way I have changed. Good, because I left as a certain person but I came back different. Alison's disappearance might have been the best thing that has happened to Rosewood high, it was crazy to think that and as ashamed as I felt for thinking that, it seemed to be true. Instead of the usual misery, all around me was the so called "Pig-skin" laughing with a bunch of friends "Hermie" as she called him was walking towards his locker with his head in the clouds. It felt like losing Ali' was a good thing but I also felt that losing Alison was the worst thing that has ever happened to me. But I guess what makes some people feel bad makes other people happy.

I tried to walk a little faster because the bell was about to ring for my next class and I still didn't have my literature book, also, I liked biology but that freaking book weighed a ton! They should allow us to take lessons on our computers, making us carry our own book is called slavery in other countries, ok, no it doesn't but it could, right? Right!

Oh my god, I need a life, I need friends I'm arguing with my own mind. If I ever see Spencer or anyone else from the girls I would to be so close with, I'll go over to see her and check on how she's been doing. I mean what could happen? Nothing, yeah that's what I thought.

I opened my locker and stared at the almost emptiness of it, there was nothing else than a few of my books. It looks like it could use some customizing, yeah I don't have time for that! I grab my literature book in a hurry and turn around in the process of closing the door of my locker. I freeze for a second and wow! Him? Here? Did my obsession with him turn me into a witch and thinking of him sufficed for me to cast a spell on him? There he was, talking to the dean of the school, looking as hot as ever. He'll have to see me everyday but most of all, I will get to stare at his handsome face day after day until the end of the school year, how much better can it get?

But he can't see me, not now, not in this setting, he'll know I'm in highschool! I shove my head in my locker and hit my head badly again a book. Ouch! That hurt! I just need to stay here and wait until he's gone, that's it. The bell rang and a few students started to run to get to their class on time, I should probably do the same, being late on the first day is never good. Taking my head out of the locker might be risky but I can walk passed him and hide my face. I could look at the floor and walk like a thug to make sure he doesn't suspect anything, I'm sure he won't notice that it's me. I start moving in weird way trying to get the moves of a thug but it's not really convincing. I hide behind my hair and book and go faster and faster and I end up tripping over his shoe. How did I not see his foot? Anyway now I'm falling, flat on my face in front of the one person that has found me interesting. Great, just great!

My face hits the ground and a located pain beings. My cheek is throbbing and the sense of humiliation doesn't make anything any better. I close my eyes so I can't see his look when he tries to help me up.

"Hey, are you ok?" a worried voice inquires, I'm not but I can't really admit that, can I? I lay both of hands flat on the floor and push myself up without a word. I shyly avoid any eye contact and get up to show them that everything is fine. My cheek still aches but at this point all I care about is to get away from here. I dust my clothes and start to walk away with my head high, he calls me back, I tried to restore myself some dignity by holding my head high and saying

"I'm fine, I'm late I need to go"

"Here, you forgot your book" I stop my motion and turn round to get my book and get to class. "And, you're not late"

"Yes I am, the bell rang, the class started at 9, it's 9:05 I'm late!" I say, I realize my tone is rude but it is too late to change it now.

"You are not late if the teacher himself is not on time"

"And how would you know that?" I defied him, with some luck we could get our chemistry back and forget about this recent embarassing event.

"I'm the teacher. You can breathe, that fall must have hurt. I'm sorry I wasn't looking..."

"Oh no, it's me, don't apologize. My mind was on something else, I didn't see you"

After that we went ot class and his knowledge about Hemmingway, F. and the rest of them seems huge and i would for sure learn a lot in his class. He'd made us write our names on a piece of paper and put it on the table. It would easier for him to learn our names. I hadn't done that since middle school but he might know my name but for everyone else I was just a student like them, and I didn't know the new teacher. I've spent a lot of time thinking about the little thing that is between us, when everyone has left the room, I should probably leave with them but I need to talk to him.

"Uhhhm Aria?" He says as the last student leaves the classroom

I turned around to face him "Huuum?" I respond innocently.

"Do you remember me?" He says, was he serious? Could I really forget him?

"Yeah of course, at the restaurant..." He cuts me off

"Given the situation, I think we shouldn't mention it again. Obviously it's not going anywhere. I can't really date a student"

The room is so silent I can hear my heart break. Why is it so hard for me to give up on something that hasn't even started? I take the information in, pretend it is not a big deal give a reassuring nod and leave the room. I knew I shouldn't have put so much hope in him. While I head to my next period, a familiar face appears in front of me. It was Spencer Hastings, she hasn't changed a bit, she hasn't seen me yet, I hope she'll be happy to know that I'm back. I could really use some socializing. I run up to her and dab her shoulder until she swivels her head and her eyes meet mine.

"Hey!" I say with enthusiasm, something is wrong, she doesn't reply, she doesn't even smile back at me. Her face reflect disgust and I could tell I was the last person she wanted to see. "What's wrong?"

"Get away from me, alright?" she pushes my arm off her shoulder and storms away from me.

What? Have I done something wrong? She caught me off guard, I stood there in the middle of the hall, watching her march away from me in complete confusion. Emily was walking by so I started to walk towards her to ask her what was the deal with Spencer but as soon as she saw me she lowered her head, pretended not to see me and continued walking. Hanna was talking to Mona, very interesting, she had made friends with the loser Alison enjoyed humiliating. If she talked to Mona, she would probably talk to me too, right? It doesn't matter if the rest of the girls doesn't talk to me, Hanna is enough, she was always the funniest one anyway. Her eyes finally notice my petite frame, she lower her head, she doesn't storm off, she doesn't avoid eye contact, in fact she holds in, and for a second, I wish she didn't. Her eyes stared at me in a mixture of confusion, disgust and fear. What was everybody on today? I was back! I thought I would be a little more welcomed in my hometown. Surprising as she can be, she walked over to me with determination written on her forehead.

"You need to leave, now!" she whispers in my ear, I don't even get the time to reply that she's already gone, leaving me alone in the hall again. I think now is the time to reach for my best friends, they wouldn't treat me like crap, at least. I need music to feel less of a freak.

I'm starting to feel really sad again, you know what? Screw school and the other classes, I need some me time. If nobody will hang out with then I will hang out with me. Sad, so sad. I made sure no one could see me leave the school and I went out towards my car, a voice called for my name. I turn around and look up, it is him.

"Wait!" He shouts

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_**Hey, I was just settling a few things here and there, don't worry things will become interesting.**_


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